Monday, January 31

Tante Belle Cose: January in Italy

For any Italophiles out there, of course, the best news this month was the fact that the judiciary struck down a Berlusconi law that would protect people in office from being prosecuted.  Thus the ensuing legal hassles our Premier is now undergoing.
It's true, that it distracts them from the duties of office, but, it could also keep more than one nefarious nympho from living like they're above the law, and partying like it's 1999, which, to some observers might be considered a distraction as well.

And speaking of charges, I personally was pleased as punch to hear that nine archeologists & other 'experts' were under investigation for neglect in the Pompeii collapse.  Other good news this month, is that the EU is sending Pompeii monies for propping up other at-risk buildings and so forth.  Let's just hope the funds don't end up going to prop up the construction contracts with the mob.

And, a couple more of my pet peeves were being addressed by the powers that be:   
- Kids were now going to have to take driver's tests prior to cruising around in their micro cars.  After so many senseless deaths...this is very good news.  Again, we hope that papà doesn't just grease the palms of the driver's ed instructor to let Giovanni pass with flying colors.  In fact, in a recent blitz, they nailed 51 driving instructors 'on the take' in Palermo.  At least we now know why Italians are such rotten drivers.

- The EU is trying to get the Italian banks to stop the extortion on bank account fees, double the fees of most other member countries.  As if that wasn't enough reason to store your money elsewhere, a conference will be held shortly in Lugano - in Italian - on keeping your money offshore.  It should be a nice people-watching meeting - of the who's who of Italy all in attendance...

But, my favorite bit of news was that, it took 2011 years (but who's counting?) in the making, but we finally have the arrival of 'Family-sized' milk cartons!!!  With its tag line, E' NATO IL FORMATO FAMIGLIA. E' L'ULTIMO ARRIVATO MA È IL PIÙ GRANDE DI TUTTI [family-sized form is born...the last to arrive, but bigger than all the rest]...

Coming from the country of super-size me, I can't tell you how happy this makes me.  Add to this the advent of biodegradable plastic bags in Rome...well, things in my kitchen never looked so good.  Now - to figure out how to fit it into my mini-sized fridge...

Live links in gray on official blog

6 comments:

cuz liz said...

well, duh, get a bigger fridge! :-)

Irreverent Italy said...

spoken like a true americana...

Jacques said...

Sorry, but unless I found the wrong "notizia" ( http://www.centralelattediroma.it/news-del-mese;jsessionid=E195387AF6AA7392AF05630513CA2448 ), it is "magra" consolation for those of us used to "gallons" of milk. A quart and a half? Not even a half gallon (0.396 gallons,)?
Better than nothing but still a long ways from ideal.

Irreverent Italy said...

Ciao Jacques. Yes, a quart & a half. Better than buying a dozen little containers for your morning cappuccino & cereal fix -- which, by the way, is the opening chapter in my forth-coming book!!!

Jacques said...

So you buy 8 instead of 12? Still seems a bit on the small side, for someone that grew up with an average of almost two gallons a day for our family of five (but that was the seventies, and we drank milk at dinner, even with pizza and spaghetti too).
And what is this opening chapter? what book? is it just me that missed something?

Irreverent Italy said...

We must have been in the same family. 2 gals/day, even w/pizza & spaghetti.
No, you have not missed anything on the book, in fact, you were the second to know...
I have put together a manual for Living in Italy, much based on my blog entries, but not all...
Not yet published -- am weighing out the pros&cons of self-publishing. Hopefully out by Spring.